Polish remover



Nov. 27, 1956 E. A. ERlcKsoN Y POLISH REMOVER Filed May 20, 1954 lill INVENTOR. E'ar'/ H. Eric/s on f 27,771,621l Umted States Patent O ce Patented No 2 56 Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view as indicated by line 4-4 on Fig. 3;

`PoLIsH REMovER Earl A. Erickson, Detroit, Mich. Application May zo, 1954, serial No. 431,156, s claims. (ci. 1sz1) The invention pertains to a cosmetic appliance and more particularly to a nail cleaning apparatus for removing the polish or enamel from the finger nails.

In the use of finger nail polish and enamels, the individual frequently wishes to remove the old coating or application, either to omit it for awhile or to put on a fresh application. scratched, marred or partially worn away, and the wearer may desire to apply a fresh coating of the same color or of a different color or tint. The old coating is usually removed by scrubbing the finger nails with alcohol or some other suitable solvent medium. In view of the solvent power of such a medium, spilling or spattering it upon adjacent objects, or furniture surfaces may cause damage which becomes considerable as the result of repeated operations over a period of time.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide apparatus for safely and conveniently removing polish or enamel from the finger nails.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a device whereby polish or enamelmay be quickly removed from finger nails without the necessity of takingA special care to avoid spattering or spilling the solvent medium upon furniture and nearby articles. i v v Itis a further object of the invention to provide. finger nail cleaning apparatus which serves also as a container The old coating may have become for storing a quantity of the solvent medium safely en,

closed to prevent combustion or vaporization -while being atall times conveniently accessible for prompt use.;

Another object of the invention is to provide such a polish `removing device in a compact unit which is reliable and positive in operation and which. is of a simple, rugged construction convenient to manufacture, 1assemble and maintain. y

A further object of the invention is to provide such a finger nail polish removing device made of a plastic comr position or other suitable material to be of light Weight'. and pleasing to the touch; to be made transparent, semitransparent or translucent so that the level of the solvent may be readily seeniand to be made in a wide variety of shades or tints of color to satisfy the preferences of various individuals for an article of such a personal nature.

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of the invention, such as relate to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, elements per se, and to economies of manufacture and numerous other features, as will be apparent from a consideration of the specification in conjunction with the drawing disclosing specific embodiments of the invention, wherein similar reference characters are applied to corresponding parts throughout, and in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view showing an embodiment of the finger nail polish removing device;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 on Fig. 2;

-to provide a knob 27 to -intothe solvent and the nail of an inserted finger, as represented diagram- Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the operation of the apparatus for removing polish from a fingernail, dotted lines showing the inserted finger and the motions of the scrubbing element; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a structural variation. y

Referring more specifically to the views of the drawing, I have illustratively disclosed an embodiment of my finger nail polish removing device comprising a solvent receiving and holding vessel 11. For its purpose, and intended use, the vessel is preferably provided with a laterally extending base 13 to impart greater stability to the unit.

The open top of the vessel 11 is closed by means of a cover 15 which may be provided with a reduced iiange fitting snugly down inside of the vessel as the cover is pressed down thereon or threadedly connected thereto as illustrated. i

The cover 15 is provided with a finger tip receiving aperture 17 for receiving and holding an inserted finger with the tip 19 in a predetermined position above the level of the solvent medium 21 in said vessel, both of which are represented by dotted lines in Fig. 5. This aperture 17 also receives the solvent medium which may be poured in to the desired depth. For closing this aperture during time intervals between useful operation of the device, a cap 23 is provided having a tapered conical plug 25 which fits snugly into this aperture to provide a sealed fit therein. The upper part of the cap is shaped facilitate removal when the apparatus is to be utilized, and the substantial length of the inwardly projecting plug 25 facilitates installation. of the cap on the vessel 11.

Within the solvent holding chamber, so enclosed, a

cleaning or scrubbing element 29 is provided. This may be 'a bristle brush, as shown in Figs. 3 `and 4, or it may be any suitable cleaning or rubbing element curved and conformed to fit a finger nail and suitable to be dipped then rubbed up and down upon matically in Fig. 5. The scrubbing element `is movably `mounted on a movable support whereby it can be suitably actuated from the outside of the solvent chamber without any risk that the solvent will be spilled or spattered from the vessel.

This is readily accomplished by providing a plunger rod 31 which slides back-and-forth through a bearing aperture 32 in the cover, the scrubbing element 29 being threaded, or secured upon the inner end thereof in any suitable manner.

As shown, the bearing aperture 32. is

' provided with a bearing sleeve 33 having its lower end secured therein,`the position relative to the finger receiving aperture being such that the scrubbing element 29 on the lower end of the rod effectively scrubs the finger nail with the solvent. This bearing sleeve 33 may be threaded, cemented, or secured in the cover aperture in any suitable manner. The other or outer end of the push rod 31 projects up above the device and is exposed for convenient manual operation to scrub the nail of the inserted finger, this operation being further facilitated by means of a conveniently shaped button 35 secured on the exposed end of the slidable rod.

The upward movements of the push rod 31 and its scrubbing element in one direction may be made automatic so that the user has only to depress the button repeatedly and these elements will spring up each time bore 37 opening from the upper end, inserting a compres-- weasel sion spring 3'9 therein concentric to the plunger rod 3'1, and providing a cross-pin 41 through the rod at a suitable position to rest upon themupper end of the spring. A Qentrallyspsttuted .StQp Aplus `4.3is .secured in thepper end 'of the'bearing sleeve 33 to passy the sliding rod-therethrgughiiTpfe .Cover ,15 mal/have Peripheral threadsfto ,srewinto 1th@ Open top .0f .the .Vessel 11 correspoudinglyithreaded- VBut "in view offthe simpleruggedconstruction of Ythe `apparatusitvis not;desirable or necessary to removethe cover A for repairs. So instead of the threaded arrangement it may be snugly sealed and securedin and upon the upper edge of the solvent holding vessel bygmeans' of any suitable cement. To charge the apparatus with the solvent medium it is only necessary to remove thecap 23 and pour the solvent therein tothe desiredflevel.

tIn operation, vitis only necessary'to remove-the cap 23 `and-insert a'nger into -the enclosed chamber. `-rl`hen, with the other hand, the user rapidly depresses and releases l-the `push rod, -scrubbing the fingernail with the solvent which is picked up each time the scrubbing ele- `mentfvis pressed down toward the bottom ofthe vessel.

This 'self-contained'device-encloses-the scrubbing operations so that the solvent A21 cannot be splattered,lspattered :orsprayed -around on =surroundin garticles and furniture surfaces. :Norcanit be tipped over to spillthesolvent. :When in use -thejlinger aperture is vsubstantially -losed by ithe Ainserted linger, and when-the 4operations are -com- .pleted the cap 23 is Areinserted and it isso1-snug-fittingAv that zit. prevents lossofthe solvent lor 'danger of combustion by lrestricting the escape of vapor fromthe enclosedchamber.

=When the'devicevis made of plastic composition material, it is of light weight as well as being otherwisepleascingltoythe touch. Another impor-tant advantage of? utilizing :available plastic material is that the `sidewalls-of the chamber may .bemade transparent,.semi-transparent or translucent, :so that'thelevel of the solvent-thereinis conveniently observable. Also, insa personal article vof vt-his nature, it is important to be able to provide-a wide variety .of.colors, tones ortints to suitthe preferences lof -many different individuals 1and this Arequirement'is .also .easily satisfied when kthe available plastic materials .are-.utilized :Two plastic materials whichyhaveproven satisfactory forl making. my polish remover ane those ,welly known and vvavailableon .the market asnylon or polyethylene, which .ismentionedby way of example and without. intention :of so limiting the scope dof the invention.

Manufacturekandassemblyof thedevice. may be further simplified `by rmasking various fp arts integral ,and this is ,readily accomplished when thedeyiee ,is made .of the plastic composition material, as will .bereadily underintegral with the cover 15. As shown, the spring enclosing vcavity37' in the housing' may thenv be extended on down to open into the vessel, and a washer 45 is pressed snugly up thereinto forming a bottom stop for the spring 39. The rod 31 passes freely up and down through this washer 45.

A washer 47 may lbe`pressed, as a snug t, on the upper end of the rod 31v to replace the cross-pin 41 and to eliminate the operation @of drilling a corresponding transverse hole on the rod 31. This washer is then loose in the cavity '37'.but.'fasttupon the.rodl31 and it presses down uponthe upper end of the,spr ingp39.

The`spring39is preferably made of stainless steel for corrosion resistanceI and long life.

While l have described only a preferred embodiment of my invention by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art, and I intend in the appended. claims to coverallsuch,modifications as 'fall withilnlthle true spirit and scope of myrinvention.

'Whatl claim as new and desire to secure 'by lLetters Patentk of the UnitedStates is:

`1. A nail polish remover comprising a vesseljforjholding 'a quantity 'of solvent, ,a .cover member removably secured to the top Iof said vesse'l, and provided vvi tha pair of openings-therein,-theportion of the cover element -adjacent`oneof said openingsconstituting a 'nger rest -'f -or impingingfbeneathlthe first nodelof a 'persons'flngen '.asleevemejnber removably mounted withinl the other of Lsaid lopenings, a vertically reciprocal-scrubbing element resiliently andlfreely mounted within said sleeve member,

stood. For example,the rodl and-thepressingabutton 3,5 ion-,the ,rupper end. maybe made integral. fOr the .lQwgr enefethisfrd may be made integral .withrt-he .frubbing element 2.9, thereby Areducing the num-ber 'of n parts to fb.eYmnnufactui-ed, handledvand assembled .AS ,Fig-i6 Shows, further Simplieation may beaccom- Plshed by providing a wd bearing hpnsina whichgis -:said-scrubbing'gelement:being arranged to present its scrub- 3bing surface -for movement in a -path adapted to'vertically wipe thenail -of ati-nger-supported byethe gsaid finger-rest, said vessel alsobeing ofgreater depth-,than-the length of that =portionof the linger to Jbe 'accommodated therein to yan extent permittinga quantity/of -solventitotbe -accommodated below the nger'tip, -a plunger for-manually depressing I-said -scrubbing element `into Vthe llower portion `of .said .vessel, Aand a spring -resiliently mounting -said scrubbingtelement within -said sleeve memberfor returnving'said element-to anv upper positionin said vessel, when manual Ypressure on said plunger'is relieved.

f2. The combination las set rforth in claim l wherein saidlinger. rest-is of arcuateconguration.

3.-2Fhe ycombination as set 'forth .in claim l wherein ,the scrubbing element has a contour approximately 4the shape of a persons-ngerso as to Atit-snugly thereabou-t.

ReferencesCited.inA the file of this patent 

